Buying Cushions: How to get the Best Ones (and Avoid the Duds)

I’ve never met one I didn’t like, and I’ve become quite skilled in how to select the best varieties. It’s actually fair to say that buying cushions has been quite a journey. Figuring out the right colours, styles, sizes and shapes can take a while to master. As Rachel Hunter once said; it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

All of this cushion experimentation comes at a cost, of course. Not just financially, but potentially the cost of your relationship… when your partner opens one of the cupboard doors to find yet another cushion falling out onto him. That was a joke, of course. But I have been banned from buying cushions in the past because my partner claims I’ve got too many. My answer: I don’t have too many cushions. I have not enough sofas!

So here is what I’ve learnt about buying cushions. The lowdown on what to look out for (and what to steer clear of) is below. I hope it helps you the next time your urge to buy a cushion hits.

Buying Cushions: Size & Shape

Buying cushions for your sofa is all about proportion. The bigger the sofa (and the higher the back) the larger the cushions can be. The biggest mistake I see people make is buying cushions that are too small. And they look dwarfed on the sofa. Here’s a few tips on buying cushions when it comes to size:

– Choose cushions in a minimum size of of 45cm x 45cm (50cm is my preference)

– Ideally, pair a 45cm cushion with a larger cushion of 50cm +

– Place the 45cm cushion at the front and larger cushion at the back of your arrangement

– The image below showcases a low sofa back with a rectangular cushion

– If your sofa has a tall back, a rectangular cushion will look too dwarfed

– If you’re after a really casual look, round cushions will work well, but can look juvenile

Buying Cushions: Materials & Inserts

There’s nothing worse than seeing a wonderfully plush and sophisticated cushion in a catalogue or website, only to get the cover home, put one of your old inserts in it, and have it look flatter than a surfboard. Achieving a cushion that looks as stylish as the professionals make it seem all comes down to the insert and material the cushion is made from. Here are some pointers:

– Cushions made from linen, cotton, velvet or wool are both soft and sophisticated

– Linen and cotton are easy to clean, so they’re great for us messy types

– Steer clear of cushion covers made out of cheap materials like viscose

– Duck feather or down is a great insert type and will give them that thick, plush look

– The cushions you see karate chopped in magazines are duck feather/down

– Polyester filling is a common option for cushions. You can’t chop them in the centre but they’re soft

Buying Cushions: Colours & Patterns

The colours and patterns your cushions sport are going to have a dramatic impact on the look and feel of the entire room. So have a careful think about how you want the room to feel and then hunt down your cushion colours accordingly. Here are some hints and tips:

– Block colours will be more visually stimulating in general (grey sofa with blue cushions)

– Adding pattered cushions with varying colours will be the most stimulating (grey sofa with blue and yellow patterned cushions)

– If you want to introduce some life to the sofa without it looking too busy, choose one colour in varying shades (navy and sky blue cushions, for example)

Hopefully this has made buying cushions a little easier for you. Drop a comment below if you have any questions of additional tips!

The cushions imagery in this post comes courtesy of West Elm. Explore their cushion range here.

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Outside of writing the TLC Interiors blog, Chris is an interior stylist and author. You can also catch him on your TV screens as a designer on Channel 10's Changing Rooms. If you'd like to book a design consult with Chris, you can find out more here

Comments (3)

Deb Roberts

Elizabeth

I’ve just changed to a white quilt and 1 soft grey cushion, 1 white tufted cushion with 2 almost ink coloured cushions behind the white pillows. It’s still a bit blah. I. Think I need a smaller to go with the ink in front and change the cream /white print on the wall. ???